


Echoes From The Past

by kinkymastermind (writingcreature)



Series: Warzone/Paradise Chronicles [8]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Anger, Angst, BAMF Danny "Danno" Williams, Daniel Williams whump, Developing Relationship, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Night Terrors, Pre-Slash, Protective Steve McGarrett, Steve McGarrett whump, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-11-18 11:57:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18120359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingcreature/pseuds/kinkymastermind
Summary: Steve and Danny are up for a cozy dinner date, their first real date. And whatever they have in mind it does not include a stranger and a gun. When Steve is left half dead at his doorstep, Danny and the team have no idea that this is just the beginning of a nightmarish rollercoaster ride that involves a big chunk of Steve's past."You and McGarrett are a couple of crazies, I swear. Sometimes I think I’m getting too old for this shit. On the other hand, no risk, no fun. I will contact my source and let you know what we can figure out. I only wonder what Steve will think about all this when he wakes up."





	1. Chapter 1

A smile curled Steve lips as he watched Eddie chasing birds in the yard. He'd banned the dog from the house because he feared that the filet mignon would become a victim of Eddie's appetite. The filet! Shucks! Steve hurried into the kitchen where he started fiddling around as he awaited Danny for dinner. They had closed a critical case today. Time to celebrate. Time for the two of them. During the last few weeks, they hadn't seen each other much. Rachel and Grace were in London, visiting Amanda, and Danny was taking care of Charlie. Steve had had the unpleasant opportunity to meet the ex-MIL. He'd always considered Danny was exaggerating when he'd talked about the woman. Now, after he'd met her a few weeks ago in person, he'd made up his mind and thought the exact opposite. 

Tonight, Noelani was taking care of Charlie, spending the night at a pajama party at a friend's house. Everything seemed perfect. 

Steve glanced at his phone for the umpteenth time and even took it with him when he went over to the living room to check on the table he'd set only minutes before. He couldn't help himself. Geez, he was behaving like a teenager on his first date. Yeah, maybe it was something like that. Not that he and Danny hadn’t had dinner with each other before. And yes, they hung out together. But tonight… tonight it was different, as a few days ago they'd kissed for the first time. Just the thought of it made Steve blush. He couldn't even tell how it had come this far. The whole team had been under pressure while hunting down the members of a satanic cult who'd left a bloody trail across the island. 

That day, Danny had almost been killed by a bullet that had gone astray. It scraped Danny's skull and left him unconscious. Steve's heart nearly stopped when his friend dropped like a stone, and the nasty cut wouldn’t stop bleeding. Steve didn't leave Danny's side when they hauled him into the ambulance and rushed him to the hospital while the rest of the team took care of the shooter. Thank God it had turned out that it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. After hours of waiting, Danny showed up in the waiting area. 

"Guess, it's been my lucky day," he said and gave Steve a lopsided grin. His friend jumped immediately to his feet and hugged Danny like their lives depended on it. 

"Woah, careful, you Neanderthal. The bullet didn't kill me, but your embrace could," the smaller man quipped. 

Steve let go of him slowly. Frowning, he apologized, "Sorry, it's just… Shouldn't you stay here overnight? I mean…" 

Danny waved him off, "No way. I'm fine. I want nothing more than to go home, take a shower, and sleep for the rest of the week." 

Steve shook his head, grinning from one ear to the other, "I can totally see that. But I won't leave you alone. At least not tonight. You stay at my house. And I won't take no for an answer." 

"Really?" Danny asked before he answered with the same stupid grin Steve just gave him, "Just one thing." 

"And that is?" Steve asked. 

"If Eddie is trying to share the couch with me, I'm going to end up in your bed." Danny batted his eyelashes. 

Steve's mouth went dry, and his imagination was about running wild. 

"Ah, yes," he thought, "and that might be the first time you would end up with my dick up your gorgeous ass." 

"Hey, Steven, what's with the aneurysm face of yours?" Danny teased.

 His voice tore Steve immediately back to reality, "What? Oh, nothing, nothing." 

They didn't talk much on their way to Steve's house, and after they'd arrived, there was a moment when they got way too close to each other. 

It happened when Eddie welcomed them as if it had been days rather than hours since they'd parted, at least in Steve’s case. While playing with Eddie, the dog knocked Danny slightly off balance. Steve caught his friend and when Danny turned around both became keenly aware of just how close their faces were. Steve couldn't help it. With gentle force, he shoved Danny against the wall, eyed him up and down and mumbled, "Don't you ever do that to me again. You scared the crap out of me. I thought I'd lost you."

"But…" 

Steve shut him up by closing his mouth over Danny's, hungry and possessive. The contact was drugging their brains. 

After a while, they came up for air. Steve lowered his voice to a husky rumble, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Then he broke away, averting his gaze and left Danny standing in the living room. 

The moment had been awkward, no doubt. But they'd never mentioned it again that night or in the days that followed. Surprisingly, it did not influence their job either.  

The only comment Steve got from Danny when he mentioned the kiss was a cryptic, "Aren't we in the same boat?" Steve could only guess what that meant. 

Knocking jerked him back into the here and now. A look at the phone told him that Danny seemed to be a bit early. 

At the same time, Eddie looked up, cocked his ears and started running toward the house. 

The smile froze on Steve’s face when he opened the door and found himself opposite a young man. He bore some resemblance to someone, but Steve couldn't put the finger on who. 

"Steve McGarrett?" the stranger asked. 

"Yes, that's me, what can I…" 

Too late Steve saw the gun in the guy’s hand. Fuck! The guy had caught him totally off guard.  Before he was able to react, the muzzle exploded two times. Pop! Pop! Steve's eyes widened in horror. The first bullet hit his knee. The second one entered his body, cracked a rib, and penetrated his lung. 

Steve keeled over. His body hit the ground hard, and the wind was knocked out of him. He lay on the ground, waiting for the final shot that would end his life. But nothing happened. Instead, the young man bent down and said, "Hi Dad. This is for my mom. Oh, just in case you wonder who I am, my name is Andrew Greer. And now, rot in hell.” He stood up and aimed. Before he could pull the trigger for the third time, Eddie leaped at him with a growl, mouth wide open. He dug his sharp teeth into the attacker's arm.  

“Ow!” Greer yelled. He shook his arm violently, trying to get the dog to let go, but the Eddie hung on. So, he used the butt of his gun and hit Eddie's head with it as hard as he could a few times. Finally, the dog let go of him with a yelp. The guy ran off. 

His falling footsteps faded. Now the only sound Steve heard was that of his own blood rushing in his ears. He felt his life draining away from him as the blood pooled underneath him. In a desperate attempt to get help, he fumbled for his phone that he'd dropped when he'd been shot in the knee. Somehow, he managed to speed dial Danny. 

"Hey, Babe. What's the matter with you? I'm just a few minutes away, can't you…" 

Danny was cut short by a gurgling noise: "Steve?" 

More gurgling. 

"Steve? Steven? What the hell…" Danny floored the gas pedal. His stomach turned into a knot as he yelled: "Steve, do you hear, me? Steve, dammit, say something!” 

The whole time Eddie was at Steve's side, licking his face and nudging him with his nose, whining softly. Even after the phone dropped from Steve's hand and the world around him went dark.

_**to be continued...** _


	2. Limbo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i511bagaza)  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Life is what happens. While You Are Busy Making Other Plans" (John Lennon) - So I had planned this plot as a one-shot (as it was - first - only an idea for a cliffhanger and nothing else). Due to the more than overwhelming response of you, dear readers, I am now crafting a plot (let's say we drop hiatus and go straight into season 10 episode 1 *winks*). It's the first time that I got that much response on an "idea." Thank all of you for encouraging me to come forward with more, it means a lot.

 

 

When Tani arrived at Steve's house, the area looked like a war zone. HPD had cordoned off a large part of the property. She badged her way through the crime scene. Crime scene, those words alone made her shudder. It hadn't been too long ago that Steve had called them to his house after a hitman attacked him. But this time it was worse. 

She reached the entrance where she found Lou, Adam, and Junior who was taking care of Eddie. The dog's fur was partly matted with blood. Junior knelt next to Eddie and tried to calm him; the poor thing was still agitated and obviously missing his human friend. 

Lou saw movement in the corner of his eye and looked up to discover Tani standing there. She tried to keep it together. With two long strides, he was at her side. 

Tears stung her eyes, and her voice trembled when she asked, "is Steve… is he…" 

"No, no," Lou cut her short. "Steve had invited Danny over for dinner. He was already on his way when he got the call from Steve." 

"Then it isn't that bad. I mean if he could call Danny…" She said hopefully. 

"It's more like a miracle," Lou deadpanned. 

Junior joined them, followed by Eddie. "Hey, Tani." She bent down to scratch Eddie behind the ears. The only spot that was not tinged with Steve's blood. She stopped when her fingers touched the bump in his head and saw the blood around his snout. Eddie whimpered. 

Tani looked at Junior puzzled. 

"It looks like Eddie put up a hell of a fight with the perp. He bit him, which means we’ll get some nice DNA results if the asshole is in any database. And he hit poor Eddie pretty hard on the head, I guess with the butt of his gun." 

Tani patted Eddie's side carefully, "You're such a good boy, such a good boy." In return, Eddie licked her hand. 

"I'll bring Eddie to the lab, so they can swab his fur and take DNA samples. Wanna come with me?" Junior asked Tani. 

She exchanged a brief look with Lou who nodded briefly and said, "It's okay. Adam and I got it from here. Later, we’ll meet up with Danny at the hospital. I'll keep you guys posted." 

"Thanks," Junior and Tani said almost in unison. 

Adam was still talking to Duke when Lou turned his attention back to them. 

"I know it’s early, Duke, but do you guys have any leads?" Lou chimed in. 

Duke shook his head, "Nothing. We’re still canvassing the area and looking for witnesses. So far, we’ve turned up empty. As there are no shell casings, the attacker used either a revolver or took the casings with him. I've some uniforms at the hospital. As soon as the doctors retrieve the bullets from Steve's body, they'll bring it to ballistics for further examination. I also ordered two units to stay at the hospital for Steve's protection." 

Lou ran his hand over his mouth. He'd seen a lot of crime scenes in his career, but this one was different. It hit too close to home. 

After they bid Duke goodbye, Adam and Lou went over to their cars. 

"Do you think it was one of Hassan's assassins?" Adam asked. 

"I don't know how. On my way to McGarrett's house, I called an old friend of mine from the agency. Hassan is still incarcerated in Guantanamo," Lou replied. "He's in solitary confinement since his arrival. Absolutely no contact to the outside world. I don't think he's capable of mind control. We also made sure that the price tag was removed from Steve's head when we closed down Hassan's business and froze his assets." 

Lou took a look over his shoulder before he kept on talking, "I don't think that this was a pro." 

"How come?" Adam wanted to know. 

"A pro would've taken out the dog as well and finished his business." 

505050 

Danny sat in the waiting area of Tripler. The cops Duke had sent with him were nowhere to be seen, but Danny had no doubt they were near. Next to him was an older couple who just got the message of their son's death. He felt a pang of guilt because when the doctor showed up with a grim look on his face and his eyes darting back and forth Danny's heart sank. He tried to prepare himself for the worst because Steve had gone into cardiac arrest in the ambulance already. The paramedic had told him that his friend's life was hanging by a thread. However, he felt relieved when the doctor went past him and stopped in front of the couple. Their son had been flown in from Rammstein. He'd suffered a massive head trauma after an attack on his convoy in Afghanistan. 

Danny went down the hallway searching for a vending machine to get himself a bottle of water. His mouth was dry as the Sahara Desert. When he put the coins into the machine and pushed the necessary buttons, he caught his reflection in the polished surface. Only now, he realized that parts of his button-down shirt were covered in blood. 

That explained the odd look people had given him after he'd been left standing in the ER while Steve was wheeled away in a hurry. 

Danny fetched the bottle and went over to the registration counter to ask one of the nurses for a spare shirt and a paper bag. As much as he hated it, his shirt was now evidence. 

After he'd cleaned himself up briefly in the men's room and changed into a white tee with Tripler's emblem printed on the front, he went back into the waiting area and sat down. The devastated couple had left. Danny didn't want to think about how it must hurt to bury your only child. He immediately thought of the night of Gracie's accident. Deja vu. A look at the big clock mounted on the wall opposite him told him that he'd been here for about two hours now. For him, it felt like an eternity.  

He plopped onto the uncomfortable plastic chair, put the brown paper bag next to him and took a swig from the bottle. The cold water hissed down his throat. Danny leaned the back of his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He felt worn out as if he had just run a distance of a hundred miles or suddenly grown old with gray hair and trembling limbs. That reminded him of the hallucination he had when he got shot about a year ago. Yeah, he'd fantasized about him and Steve living and growing old together. This hallucination had felt wonderful and real. After Danny woke from the coma, it took him a while to readjust to reality and to readjust his friendship with Steve. 

Maybe it was the reason why he hadn't been that surprised when Steve had shoved him against the wall and kissed him. For Danny, it was like a dream come true. However, when Steve excused himself and behaved like nothing between the two of them had happened, Danny thought it might have been the wrong time and place. But with tonight's invitation for dinner, he was sure that Steve would finally come forward with his feelings. Danny was eager to tell him about the hallucinations he had and so much more. 

Instead, he was sitting here in this fucking waiting area while Steve was fighting for his life behind these steel doors in a sterile and cold environment surrounded by strangers. A single tear left the corner of Danny's eye. Suddenly he felt the slow burn of anger in him. Whoever had done this to Steve would have to pay for it. 

505050 

"And did you kill him?" the man who dressed Andrew's wound asked. 

"I think so. I shot him in the knee and then in his chest. Like you told me and like we rehearsed it over and over again. At least he wasn’t moving anymore when I left. The dog was never part… Ouch! How about being a bit more careful, Ruben?" 

"Stop being such a sissy," Ruben retorted and finished his work. He put the first aid kit aside and glared at the young man in front of him. "You think so? That's it? We came here with a plan, and one part of it was to kill your father. And what do you do? You return with a bunch of bite marks in your arm, whining and complaining. All the training for nothing. I should've known better. You're nothing like your mother." 

Andrew jumped to his feet. The chair toppled over before he went toe to toe with the older man, "My mother was stupid enough to get herself killed! Stop mentioning her name, or…" 

Ruben slapped him so hard across the face that Andrew's head flew back and his cheek went red immediately. "Or what? How about you show a little respect to the man who brought you up when your mother was away from home for months. And now go to your room and get some sleep. At least you can't screw things up when you're asleep." 

Andrew's fingers curled into a fist. It took him some effort not to punch Ruben in the face. On the other hand, he knew all too well that he wouldn't stand a chance if he put up a fight with a former soldier of the French Foreign Legion. The guy who was responsible for the big scar that went from Ruben's hairline across his left eye, he'd almost lost in the wake, hadn't survived the attack and had turned to dust under the Algerian sun long time ago. 

505050 

Lou and Adam had joined Danny at the hospital and brought him up to speed. It wasn't much what they had to tell him. The uniforms didn't have any leads so far. It would also take some time until they could retrieve the footage from the traffic cameras. 

People came and went, and whenever the steel doors opened, Danny threw a hopeful glance at them. It took another two hours until the doctor who was operating on Steve showed up. He didn't look any better than Danny or his colleagues. 

The three cops stood and looked at the man in scrubs expectantly. 

"Gentlemen, we were able to stabilize him, for now. But he isn't out of the woods by far. The bullet has pierced the Commander’s left chest, punctured his lung, and stopped an inch away from his heart and aorta," the doctor explained. "We had to resuscitate him twice while we had him on the table. But we were able to control the bleeding and treated the pulmonary injury. Nonetheless, he lost a huge amount of blood. Transfusions replaced over fifty percent of his blood volume. The next 24 hours will be critical. The knee injury is secondary. We will treat it as soon as Commander McGarrett's condition allows another surgery." 

Danny swallowed hard. Okay, the news wasn't overwhelming, and he felt far from being relieved. But the only thing that counted was that Steve was alive. 

"Can we see him?" Danny asked. 

"He will be in the recovery room for another two to three hours. I'd suggest you all go home. We’ll give you a call as soon as he is transferred to the ICU. But then it will be only one visitor at a time." 

"Yes, of course," Danny said barely audible. 

The doctor's beeper went off. "Sorry, gentlemen, another emergency. I have to go." With that, he turned on his heel and hurried toward the ER. 

Danny felt like a deflated balloon. The adrenaline rush had worn off, and exhaustion was taking over. His shoulders slumped forward, and he staggered. Lou and Adam supported him. 

"Easy, buddy, easy," Adam said when they led him to a chair. 

"How about one of us gives you a ride home while the other one holds down the fort at the hospital?" Lou suggested. "You really need some sleep, man." 

"Yes, no. I… I don't want to leave Steve alone," Danny muttered. 

"Guess the staff won't be happy if you camp out here the whole night. And me neither. Danny, we need you. You have to get some rest," Lou insisted. 

Adam pulled his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, "Hold on a second," he said while he was scrolling through his contact list. 

He went down the hallway when he established the call. Danny and Lou exchanged puzzled looks. 

A few minutes later a nurse in her early thirties showed up. Adam led her to Danny and Lou. 

"Meet Mikilani Olani," he introduced her. "Miki this is Captain Lou Grover and Detective Sergeant Danny Williams from Five-0." 

They greeted each other and shook hands. 

"Miki will show you to the staff room," Adam told Danny. 

"How…?" 

"It doesn't matter, Danny. Just take the offer. I would follow this pretty young lady anywhere," Lou said all smiles.

_**to be continued...** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read. Comments and Kudos appreciated.
> 
> Kudos to my beta, Melissa. Thanks for having my back and being such an inspiration.


	3. Unwanted Suprises

_Steve was floating. The feeling was familiar and horrifying at the same time. It took him only a few seconds to figure out why. He was back in the sensory deprivation tank, but this time, he was naked. No rubber suit, no mask, and the water_ was _icy. It felt like millions of pinpricks attacked his body. Something else was different, too. Ah, yes, he was on his back. Steve tried to force his eyes open. God, he was so tired, like he'd participated in the Ironman, swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles, and running 26.22 miles. He frowned, "where had all that info come from?" He tried to move, but his limbs behaved like they were frozen. Steve shuddered. Breathing was getting harder by the minute. But wait, how had he ended up in the tank? Why did his body fail him whenever he tried…_

_"Dad?"_

_What was that?_

_"Dad?"_

_"Who’s there?" Steve hollered out. At the same time, his body started sinking. He sputtered._

_"Dad?_ You _hear me? You deserve all of this. I hate you. You brought misery upon my mother's life. You never gave a fuck about me. So die, bastard, die!"_

_The voice echoed in Steve's head while his body was sucked underwater, and there was nothing he could do about it. His lungs started to burn. The urge to open his mouth and force air into them became unbearable. But Steve knew if he gave way to the feeling, he would drown. Panic rose in him. The pain in his chest was crushing like someone tried to tear his chest open. And the harder he fought, the stronger the pain grew. The voice was still there, angry, desperate, full of hate._

_\-----_

As Danny and Adam were about to enter the ICU ward, the area was already brimming with activity. 

The two men exchanged concerned looks and hurried toward the chaos. 

A nurse stepped in their way and stopped them. 

"What... what the hell is going on?" Danny snapped and gestured in the direction of Steve's room. "I need to see my friend, Steve McGarrett. Get out of my way." 

He tried to force his way past her as a doctor showed up, "Sir, please, calm down. Your friend has suffered a heart attack. Our team is working to stabilize him." 

"How could you let that happen? I mean, he's under your watch, dammit!" Danny curled his fingers into a fist. 

It was Adam who put his hand heavily on his friend’s shoulder and said, "Danny, please. I'm sure they’re trying everything possible. Let's have a seat." He moved Danny to the row of chairs lined up at the wall. 

Danny kept his eyes trained on the doctor when he sat down, "How serious is it?" 

The doctor exchanged some words with the nurse who nodded briefly and hurried over to Steve's room. 

Another doctor showed up and joined the three men. For Danny's taste, there were way too many white coats involved. 

"Hi, my name is Dr. Solomon," he introduced himself, "you already met Dr. Frost." He pointed at his colleague. 

"Doctor, please, I don't want to sound rude, but can we drop the formalities? How is Steve doing?" Danny urged. 

"Sure, no problem," Solomon replied. "The commander suffered a heart attack. It's one of the possible complications that come with the injury he sustained. Though he's sedated, his brain showed abnormally high activity, his pulse, and his heart rate shoot through the roof. The applied meds weren't as effective as we thought, but we couldn't risk heightening the dosage. All that caused that the commander woke from the drug-induced coma, which happens quite seldom but it does. He pulled out the IV and the breathing tube. It looks like he's under a lot of stress. He was also yelling a name. I think it was Wo Fat. Do you have any idea what happened to him?" 

Danny shook his head and blew out a shuddering breath, "I… I found him near the entrance door of his house when I arrived. He was already unconscious." 

Then he looked at Adam who took over, "Sorry, we don't have any leads, yet. Whoever did this showed up at Commander McGarrett's doorstep and shot him in cold blood. If Eddie hadn't been there..." 

"Eddie?" Solomon asked. 

"Steve's dog. He belonged to a DEA agent who got killed in the line of duty." Danny explained but got right back to the subject at hand, "Doctor, what are your next steps?" 

"We changed the medication and put him under sedation, again. We have to wait for the test results, but based on his EKG records it looks like it's been a mild heart attack. For now, we have things under control. That doesn't mean he is out of the woods. But please, I think you came here to see him." Solomon started walking.

"Go, Danny. I'll wait here for you," Adam said and watched Danny until the blond detective vanished around the corner into Steve's room. 

_\-----_

The white walls, the smell, along with the nurses and doctors reminded Adam of the day he was shot in the chest by Gabriel. He looked down at his left hand, which trembled. He covered it with his right to stop it from shaking. The whole incident had raised a lot of unwanted memories. Things he thought he'd gotten over, like his divorce from Kono. They'd been through so much and thought their love was strong enough to overcome every obstacle. Adam looked at his left hand. The ring was gone, but he could still see the outlines of it. Though it's been a while now, it still didn't feel right. He'd wished he could talk to someone about his feelings. 

"Get yourself together, dammit," Adam told himself. This was neither the time nor the place for self-pity. 

A dim light illuminated the windowless room. The monitors and other medical equipment surrounded Steve's bed like guardians. It was as bad as Danny had expected. Steve's face was pale, and his skin tone was that of a wax doll. There were a dozen of different tubes and wires attached to his body. Drainage tubes from his surgery, an IV drip to keep him hydrated, catheter, heart monitor, and God knows what else and, last but not least, the huge thing they had stuck down his throat to control his breathing. 

Slightly hesitating, Danny got closer to the bed. Carefully, he reached through the maze of tubes and wires, took Steve's hand in his and squeezed it gently. 

"Hey, Babe. It's me, Danno. You've been shot. You're at Tripler. But the doctor said you're going to be okay. You hear me?" his voice was choked with tears. 

"You scared the crap out of me, Steven. I thought you were… you know… Don't you ever do this to me again. You hear me?" As much as Danny hoped for Steve to squeeze his hand back, nothing happened. Danny straightened and looked to the ceiling, while tears stole themselves from the corners of his eyes. 

"Please, Mr. McGarrett, don't take your son away from me. There is so much left unspoken between Steve and me. 

The nurse who suddenly showed up to check on Steve vitals interrupted Danny's awkward monologue. A part of him was glad about it. Though the nurse stood opposite to him, Danny didn't care and bent down to put a kiss on Steve's forehead. He was done playing hide and seek, time to show his affection for Steve to everyone. Especially now. 

"I have to go to catch the bastard who did this to you, and I swear…" His voice trailed off. It took him a moment to get himself together before he told the nurse goodbye. She nodded briefly and gave him a warm, friendly smile in return. 

Adam was still sitting where Danny had left him. The blond detective couldn't get rid of the feeling that Kono's ex was currently dealing with his inner demons. Adam was so lost in thoughts that he didn't see Danny coming and startled when he started talking. 

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Danny excused himself. "You okay, Adam? You look like you've seen a ghost." 

Adam shook his head to clear the fog in his brain, "It's nothing. I'm … I'm fine. Thanks for asking. How is Steve?" The change of subject happened a tad too fast for Danny's taste, but the ringing of his phone kept the blond from switching into detective mode. 

It was Tani who told him that they had made some progress concerning the identity of the shooter. However, that was nothing she and the others wanted to discuss over the phone. 

A few minutes later Danny got behind the wheel of the Camaro while Adam rode shotgun. 

The dark-haired man threw a side glance at him and teased, "How does it feel to drive your car in what seems like ages?" 

"Zip it, Noshimuri. Or do you want to take the bus to the headquarters?" Danny shot back. Both smiled. 

_\-----_

As soon as Danny opened the glass door to H50's refuge, Eddie dropped his chewing bone and welcomed the two team members heartily. Eddie's fur was soft and shining. Whoever cleaned up the mess had done a great job. 

As Danny discovered the looks on his teammates' faces, he told Eddie to go to his place and went over to the gadget table followed by Adam. 

Before they went into detail, he gave them a brief rundown concerning Steve's condition. They were shocked when they learned about the heart attack. Eddie's dog instincts told him that his human friends could need some comfort and so he joined the small group. 

Danny clapped his hands, "Okay, now tell me what you guys found out." 

Tani linked her laptop with the table and said, "What I'm going to show you has been checked and double-checked. Any misinterpretation of the data is excluded." 

A DNA result popped up on the screen and then another one. The expression on Tani's face was hard to read even for Danny.

 "Does that mean our attacker is in the database?" Danny asked. 

"Yes and no," was Tani's cryptic reply. 

Danny looked at her expectantly, "Okay, that sounds a bit odd. But I'm sure you have the answer already." 

Junior took the laser pointer and pointed at the above result, "This is the result that the lab was able to extract from the flesh tissues on Eddie's teeth. The other one is from Steve." 

Danny scratched the back of his head. He'd seen enough DNA results in the past to know that these samples bore some similarities. And so, he pointed with his free hand at the screen, "When you say Steve, you mean… our Steve?" 

Tani nodded, "Yes, our Steve. As we all know there are Y-DNA tests that indicate descent through an all-male father-to-son line. If I put the DNA-results up against each other…" 

"Stop," Danny snapped, "stop." 

"But Danny that won't change the result," Tani intervened.

"I know, I know. I have to digest what you are going to tell me." Danny wasn't joking. This revelation felt like a blow to the gut to him. His mind took on a life of its own, and the blond Detective was asking himself how many more kids Steve had probably fathered… in total. 

He shoved that cockamamie idea aside as best as he could. 

"May I?" Tani asked. 

Danny took a breath and nodded, "Please go ahead." 

"According to the DNA results, the person who shot Steve is a 99.9 % match to his DNA and therefore his son." 

The whole room went so quiet that one could hear a pin drop in the large office. Even Eddie yelped and went back to his place. 

_**to be continued...** _


	4. Learn about the truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team is in shock about the disturbing results they got back from the DNA testing.
> 
> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i511bagaza)  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The blind hacker genius Harley Taylor was introduced in episode 8.04. Too bad this was his only appearance on the show so far. The character bears great potential. That's why he is showing up in some of my stories.

All eyes were on Danny, "What?" 

"Did Steve ever tell you about a kid?" Tani asked. 

"No, of course not," Danny snapped, and given his facial expression, he sure wasn't lying about it. He was as stunned as the rest of the team. 

He stared at the screen that still showed the results of the DNA test while his brain tried to grasp what the hell was going on. 

"Apparently, the attacker was Steve's son," Lou said out loud as though he had to convince himself about the bitter truth. 

Junior shook his head in disbelief, "I mean, my dad and I have our issues, and to me, it looks like we will never be on the same page, ever. However, I can't imagine the amount of hate you must feel to shoot your own father in cold blood." 

Adam didn't escape the side glance Junior was throwing at him. It wasn't reproachful, more like a plea for support.

He was about to say something when Danny's phone went off.

The blonde detective's heartbeat accelerated. Was it bad news from the hospital? Again all eyes were on him. 

"Hi, Duke." A collective sigh of relief sounded when Danny greeted their friend. 

"Okay, yes. Thanks, great job." 

The whole team hung on Danny's words as he dropped them in a staccato-like manner. 

"He's still not out of the woods, yeah. I know. I will tell them. Yes, of course. Could you do me a favor, Duke? When you're back at headquarters, gimme a call. We gotta meet. I need to tell you something in person, okay?" 

Silence. 

"I know. Bye." 

Danny stashed the phone away before he turned his attention back to the rest of the team. 

"Duke sends his best," he said, and his colleagues replied with a collective nod and some murmuring. 

Danny kept on speaking, "They were canvassing the area and checked the traffic cameras as well. It seems that some people saw a young man fleeing the scene, a teenager. Only, it was too dark so that they couldn't give them a proper description. Some said that the guy was jumping into a dark sedan, make and model unknown, which took off into the night with screeching tires."

 "That indicates that the guy wasn't alone." For whatever reason, Lou wasn't able to call the young man, 'Steve's son.' Then he added, "He had help. Did the traffic cams come up with a better result?" 

Danny shook his head, "Nope, unfortunately not. It looks like whoever was with the kid has some serious hacking skills. They jammed the cams in the area. Duke said they had only a glimpse of the car before it disappeared on the streets of Hawaii." 

Eddie jumped up and let out a friendly 'woof' as soon as the glass door opened, and Jerry entered the office. He gave the dog’s ears a brief rub before he joined the rest of the team. It took him some seconds to calm his breathing. He'd stayed at headquarters the whole time to work as a link between his colleagues and all other involved authorities. 

Sweat was beading on Jerry's forehead, and his face was ashen, he seemed on the verge of a heart attack. 

"I’ll get you some water," Tani said, worried, and hurried away. 

"Calm down, brah," Adam said and put a hand on Jerry's back. 

Eddie was circling the big guy and poking his calf with his wet nose. 

Gratefully, Jerry took the glass of water Tani brought him and made a huge gulp from it. 

"Thanks, much better," he gasped, then took a look at the screen. His jaw worked. Like the rest of the team, he was still in shock about the news. 

Jerry turned his head to face Danny, "I guess Duke called you and gave you the heads up?" 

Danny huffed out a breath before he replied, "Yes, he did. Some people saw a teenager fleeing the scene. He got into a car that took off into the night, but the traffic cams were jammed, so we don't have any lead on the suspects or the car." 

The glass doors opened once again, and Eddie started to bark. Junior took the dog by its collar before he could rush toward the visitor. 

"We've more traffic in here than outside on the street," Tani stated the obvious and curiously eyed the guy who just entered. 

He was using a white cane to make his way to the gadget table. Underneath his other arm, he carried a laptop. 

Jerry went over to welcome him and guided him to the gadget table. 

"Guys, meet our friendly hacker from the neighborhood, Megora," Jerry introduced the man to Tani, Adam, and Junior, who'd only heard of him but never met him in person before. 

They all shook hands with him briefly, then watched him set up his laptop. 

"He became my go-to guy for the special things," Jerry explained. 

Danny knew Megora, aka Harley Taylor, from several encounters. He'd helped the team occasionally since Toast's tragic death almost two years ago. 

"I called him immediately after Duke said that the traffic cams were jammed," Jerry kept on.

 "So he can 'unjam' them?" Junior asked. 

Harley gave him a broad grin, "Nah, sorry. No can do." 

Junior's hope sank. 

"What I can do is trace the signal that's responsible for it. I can work from there, and if we are lucky, it will lead us to the guys who committed the horrible attack on Commander McGarrett." 

Danny's head jerked up, "You mean, you can find them?" 

Harley shrugged, "Well, I can't pinpoint their location, but I can narrow it down to a certain area for sure." 

Danny's phone rang again. "I feel like America's Most Wanted," he muttered and took the call. It was a Detective from HPD. 

The call didn't take long, and after he was finished, Danny told Tani, Junior, and Adam, "Guys, you have to meet with Detective Chan at the Oahu mortuary. Two bodies have gone missing within one week." 

Tani grimaced, "Are they sure these people were dead and didn't go for a drink or whatever?" 

"The Zombie-Apocalypse is on the rise, I knew it," Jerry chimed in. 

"Stop it," Danny snapped, "Do me a favor and just go there. Let's see if someone is playing Frankenstein or if someone is harvesting bodies for other reasons." 

"May I suggest…" 

"No, Jerry, you stay here with Harley," Danny cut him short. 

On their way out, they passed Jerry, who whispered into Tani's ear, "Zombie-Apocalypse, promise to give me a call." 

Tani gave him a broad grin and a wink in return. 

When they were gone, Danny went over to his office and asked Lou, "Can I have a word with you?" 

"Sure," Lou growled and followed suit. 

Danny took the seat behind his desk and offered Lou the one opposite him. 

"I swear I had no idea that Steve had a son," the blonde blurted out. 

"Neither did I," Lou stated dryly. 

"The eyewitnesses speak about a teenager. So my guess is this kid is about 15 to 17 years old," Danny thought out loud while he was racking his brain trying to recall any conversation he and Steve ever had about kids, a hopeless endeavor. 

"Well, that's not much to work with. I also doubt that Steve shared a list of all his exes with you," Lou deadpanned. 

Danny gave him a lopsided grin in return, "Nope that he didn't do but…" His voice trailed off, and he sat up straight in his chair. 

Lou frowned, "Any ideas?" 

"Something's nagging in the back of my mind. But I can't put my finger on it. Damn it!" 

He looked at his elder colleague, expectantly. 

"Don't look at me like Hannibal Lecter at his victims. I can assure you this old piece of meat doesn't taste good," Lou quipped. 

Danny ignored him and said, "You mentioned that Hassan couldn't be behind it because he's locked up and they threw away the key or something like that. What about Hassan's wife?" 

"After the numerous threats Hassan received after his arrest, she and her son are in Witsec. But I doubt his wife has any intentions… and what would she have to do with Steve's son, anyway?" 

Danny shook his head, "It is somehow related to Hassan. This thing I can't remember. We talked about it after… It was something about unfinished business." He felt like he was rummaging around in an old attic — lots of dust that made him sneeze but nothing he could grasp. 

Both men were deep in thought when Danny's cell phone rang and made them jump. 

He hadn't looked at the caller ID, so he was surprised to hear Jerry's voice at the end of the line. When Danny gave him a more than questioning look through the open blinds of his office, Jerry winced. 

"Shall I call later," he asked carefully. 

Danny rolled his eyes, "Yes, I mean, no. I mean, why the hell don't you just come in? And didn't we have this discussion already?" 

"Yeah, sorry. I know. But you and Lou looked like you wouldn't appreciate being disturbed…" 

"Spit it out; what's bothering you?" Danny felt dumb talking on the phone with a guy he could see in the room next to him. Egad...

 "Harley says that the guy who jammed the traffic cams is pretty good at it and that it might take him some time, maybe a few more hours or so?" Jerry said, and grimaced. 

Danny kept his voice calm; over the years, he'd learned to deal with Jerry's quirky behavior. 

"Nobody is expecting miracles. I know you guys do your best. There are so many factors…" Again his voice trailed off. 

Jerry gave him a questioning look, "Danny? Danny, you okay?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Keep up the great work, guys. Jerry, you're brilliant." The line went dead. 

While Jerry looked back and forth between the dark screen of his phone and Danny's office, Lou smirked, "You look like you've found the Holy Grail." 

Danny put on a smug grin. "Not quite. But I just remembered what it was that Steve told me. I might know who the mother of this kid is. And if I am right, we have to be damned careful about our next steps." 

"I hope you share the info with me, as I'm not in the mood for any cliffhangers," Lou said. 

"It's Greer's last words." 

"What?" 

"What Steve told me Greer's last words before she got iced. 'Maybe it wasn't just about the money, Steve—maybe there were other factors...' – that's what she told Steve when he asked her about her betrayal," Danny explained. 

"You mean the boy could be Greer's and his son?" Lou swallowed. 

"The time frame is about right. Somehow, I guess." Danny wasn't so sure anymore about his idea, but it was the only thing that made sense to him. 

"So the boy came here to avenge his mother's death and then what? He takes the next plane back from wherever he came?" Lou was still skeptical. 

"I can't tell you how this goes together right now. I think we might be onto something here. And I think he must've had some help. The shots were precise, more or less. He had someone drive the getaway car. They knew how to cover their tracks. My gut instinct seldom betrays me. And if I am right, this was just the beginning." 

Danny rubbed his stubbly chin before he looked Lou straight into the eyes, "The agency has DNA samples of all their field agents, I believe. Do you think that your insider might get us Greer's somehow so that we can run it against the boy's? Of course, it must be kept under the radar. If the CIA catches a whiff of it, they will take away the case from us for sure." 

"You and McGarrett are a couple of crazies, I swear. Sometimes I think I’m getting too old for this shit. On the other hand, no risk, no fun. I will contact my source and let you know what we can figure out. I only wonder what Steve will think about all this when he wakes up." 

Lou was about to leave Danny's office, when the blonde said, "Tell your source or insider or whatever you name him or her to take care. We've lost too many people already, and we almost lost Steve. No need to add another single person to this body count."

tbc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad to have you as my co-pilot @adaywithcoffee. You are the best!

**Author's Note:**

> The story was inspired by Greer's last words: “Maybe it wasn’t just about the money, Steve—maybe there were other factors...” 
> 
> Thank you, Melissa, for being such an inspiration and for having my back!


End file.
